Dear Editor, 

Franklin Johnston’s article in the November 27 Observer, “Slavery, bleaching and the beauty myth”, is a most interesting read.

“Our journey in life makes us who we are, but it is not all we are. We are complex beings.” To this I wish to add that we are also infinite beings, that God created us to become food for dinosaurs, but with wisdom we conquered dinosaurs, instead of their conquering us – that proved and is proof of your expressions.

It was National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, a great Jamaican, who bared his chest for adult suffrage and justice for all, who first alluded that we have or had no control over how we appeared in this world. A truthful statement well said, yet he is not more celebrated as an intellectual of the highest intellect, strutting about on academic stages, with many letters of scholarly accolades, upon his rambunctious spirit and classical Latin and old Italian names.

Sir Alexander is a modern-day hero without question, but whom well-fed negroes with academic achievements, earned or given, took pride in ignoring, while glorifying others, with lesser courage and equally well-fed, to be supreme.

The skin colour thing in black, white, or even yellow, or brown, is irrelevant to human performance and integrity and intellect under extreme measures. Dr Johnston, your subject matter on skin colour is most interesting to read and how you put this subject into perspective provides humour. Please do with all honesty continue to provide us with great laughs upon complex matters that are most simple to reason.

Beresford A Davidson

Marietta, Georgia

USA